Please Take Me Away From Here
by Everybody's Starry Eyed
Summary: Staring into his deep, green eyes was like being sucked into a whole other universe. And the best part of it was that it was only shared between the two of them.


**Title: **Please Take Me Away From Here

**Rating: **T

**Characters: **Annabeth Chase, Percy Jackson, Percabeth, Jason Grace, Piper McLean

**Word Count: **6,800+

**Summary: **Staring into his deep, green eyes was like being sucked into a whole other universe. And the best part of it was that it was only shared between the two of them.

**Author's Note: **Merry Christmas! This is a cute and kind of depressing one shot about my favorite pairing right now. I wanted to delve into the realm of insomnia since I deal with this a lot. It's not a fun thing so I was trying to romanticize it a little bit because I truly believe that the night is beautiful and insomnia shouldn't change that. I hope you enjoy this little story, it's one of my longer one shots so I'm kind of proud of myself. Merry Christmas!

**. . .**

_Leave my door open just a crack_

'_Cause I feel like such an insomniac_

_Why do I tire of counting sheep?_

_When I'm far too tired to fall asleep_

. . .

Annabeth tosses and turns in her bed late at night. The sheets are wrinkled and strewn all around her, providing barely any warmth. She lies on her back restlessly, staring into the dark abyss. Her clock on the bedside table makes a ticking sound with each passing second. Those seconds turn into minutes and then hours.

Slowly, she gets up from her hard mattress and slips on her thick-rimmed glasses as she heads to the bathroom adjacent to her room. She flips the switch and the fluorescent light lights up the room, making her squint to adjust to the sudden brightness. She stares at her complexion in the mirror; there are mascara marks around her eyes and some are dragged down her cheeks. Taking her glasses off, she splashes her face with the ice cold water to get the goop out of her eyes. She picks up her glasses and wipes the smudge off of them before turning off the light and returning to her room.

She knows she can't sleep; she's too afraid to close her eyes. Instead, she pulls on a loose sweater and steps out onto the fire escape. The metal is cool under her feet and it creaks as her weight presses down on it. She closes her window behind her and curls up on the stairs, looking out into the night sky. Wrapping her sweater tighter around her, she snuggles up on the stairs and watches the stars in the sky.

They dot the sky like Christmas lights and she can't help but think of when she was younger. Her dad would take her and her brother out sometimes at night to watch the meteor showers. It was one of her fondest memories of her dad before he married her step mother. They would lay out in the backyard in their old house in California and watch as the meteors soared across the sky.

Now she lives in New York, where there are lights on all the time. The night sky isn't as bright as it was in California. It's clouded with neon lights that are too bright and hurt to look at after a while. She shifts uncomfortably on the cool metal steps, wishing that she had a mug of hot chocolate in her hands to warm her insides.

Annabeth never wants to close her eyes again. When she closes her eyes, all she sees is the bright white and red lights crashing together as metal scraps against metal. All she hears is the melancholy playing of the piano and the weeping of others. When she closes her eyes, she sees the end of her life as she knows it.

So she stays out on the fire escape for the night. She watches as the stars shine dully under the harsh, electrical lights of the city. She listens to the cars that occasionally drive by on the street, dipping into the one pot hole on the left side. She feels the warm breeze brush against her skin as she sees the first light of the morning.

She isn't surprised; she simply opens her window again and prepares for school. And when her step mom asks if she had a good night's rest, she replies with a simple lie.

. . .

This continues for weeks on end. Sometimes Annabeth will stay in bed and read a book or she'll go out on the fire escape or she'll quietly creep down to the kitchen and make some food. Whatever doesn't wake her step mother's sensitive ears.

Annabeth's first week back to school was rough. Her grades were already slipping and it was basic elementary stuff, like calculus and English literature. She would doze off in class and her teachers would be furious with her. She visited the principal's office at least _twice_ in the past week.

At night, she would fall asleep for a while in the early hours of night until she was inevitably woken by the resounding _crash! _that always ended her dreams. She woke up and did her normal routine – wash face, put on sweatshirt, and open window. She stepped out onto the fire escape and leaned on the rail, looking out at the street below her.

She was tired of being tired. And she was tired of spending hours on end doing nothing at night. During the day, she was stuck in school and she was forced to spend time with her step mother. At night, at least there was some semblance of freedom. Why shouldn't she take advantage of this opportunity? She was sure that the sleeplessness would only last for a few more days.

Excitedly, she ran back into her room and changed into a pair of shorts, a tank top, and a cardigan. She danced around the room, trying to find her sneakers and maintain silence at the same time. Finally, she found them underneath her backpack and she slipped them on quickly, hopping back out the window.

As quietly as she could, she climbed down the squeaky stairs. Her apartment was only a few flights up so she was able to get down fairly quickly. She jumped onto the metal trash can and flinched at the loud noise it made before hopping down onto the sidewalk. Wrapping her cardigan around her tightly, she walked out of the alley and down the street.

She wandered the street aimlessly, reveling in the fact that it wasn't as crowded as in the day time. The roads were slicked with rain from hours before and the atmosphere was humid thanks to the September weather. She pushed her glasses further up her nose and tied her hair back into its messy ponytail.

Walking through the city at night, she felt more at ease. There were only a few others walking about and they seemed to be in their own little worlds. Either that or she had somehow become invisible. In the late hours of night, she was able to appreciate the architecture of the buildings. There were so many tall buildings that she never noticed before. Usually, she was running down the streets, trying to get to school or home.

Suddenly, water started to drip down from the sky. It hit her face softly and trailed down her cheek and into her clothes. The rain grew heavy and it pelted her skin like bullets. She jogged down the slick sidewalk, trying to find a place that she could stay in while she waited the storm out. She found a 24/7 café across the street, where she dashed to without a second thought.

The door chimed as she entered the café. There was light jazz music playing in the background as she took a seat at the counter. It was warmly lit, with red cushions and dark mahogany wood. There was a sign above the counter that read _Piper's Café. _Slipping off her cardigan, she placed it on the back of her seat and began wringing out her hair.

"Welcome, can I get you something?" she looked up to find a very suave man behind the counter. He had light blonde hair and stunning blue eyes that memorized her for a moment. He cleared his throat, breaking her out of her trance.

"Oh, I don't have any money." She admitted sheepishly, "I was just trying to stay out of the rain."

The barista merely nodded until another deep masculine voice was heard, "Get her a mocha latte, whipped."

The server chuckled, "Right away, boss."

Annabeth looked over to find another person inhabiting the café. He had a lean physique and muscular biceps. His dark hair was tousled and framed his face perfectly, making his sea green eyes even more striking.

She smiled politely, "Thanks."

"No problem." He replied simply, turning back to his own mug of coffee.

The latte was slipped in front of her and she greedily took it with her cold, shaky hands. Some of it spilled on her thumb but she ignored it and took a hearty sip from the warm drink. It made her heart flutter and the warmth enveloped her, curling in her toes. She smiled in spite of herself, never tasting a latte that was this creamy and delicious before.

She swiveled around in her chair to look outside. The rain was pounding against the window and the rough air whipped through the street. Annabeth cringed, knowing that if she had stayed outside she would've been swept away.

"I'm Percy," the boy from before stated, gaining her attention.

"Annabeth." She replied, reaching across the two seats in between them to shake his hand.

It was silent again amongst the pair as they drank their beverages. It was strange to think that Annabeth wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep at night. Percy seemed to be normal, why was he out at such a late time of night?

"So, what are you doing out at this time of night?" he asked, turning his chair to face hers.

"I could say the same to you." She replied quickly, taking another sip from her mug.

He smirked at her, his green eyes lighting up with mischief, "Ah, it seems we have a sassy one here" She teasingly stuck her tongue out at him, making him outright laugh. Without hesitation, he crossed the two seats that separated them and sat next to her. She was taken aback by his forward actions and sat there stunned.

"Now seriously, what are you doing here?" he asked, gently this time around.

She shrugged, her delicate finger tracing the rim of the ceramic coffee mug, "I can't sleep and I'd rather not be holed up in my room the entire night." He nodded as if he understood her reasoning, "Why are you here?"

"I can't sleep either." He stated simply, taking a large sip of his coffee.

She decided not to press, knowing that he must be just as curious as she is. There must be _something _that's keeping him awake. People don't just pull all-nighters for fun. They sat in silence again, finishing off their beverages. Taking off her glasses, she used the end of her shirt to wipe the dirt and grease stains of the lenses.

"Do you always wear glasses?" he asked randomly. She didn't realize he had been scrutinizing her actions until she looked up to find him staring at her inquisitively.

She shook her head, "No, I have contacts but I don't wear them at night."

"Your eyes are really pretty," he stated bluntly. She could feel the blush rising up onto her cheeks and she ducked her head to hide it, "that's why I was asking." She nodded, slipping her glasses back onto her nose.

They shared the night, sitting in the café and swapping questions with one another. It was a slow game of twenty questions that neither knew they were playing. As the night wore on, Percy insisted on buying her more cups of coffee. She only accepted one and after that, she refused to take any more. She told Jason – the barista who apparently knew Percy as a longtime friend – not to give her anymore coffee.

The hours passed by, but they only seemed like minutes to her. Staring into his deep, green eyes was like being sucked into a whole other universe. And the best part of it was that it was only shared between the two of them.

Suddenly, Percy looked at the old grandfather clock that was on the opposite wall, "Well, this is usually the time I leave." She followed his gaze to see that it was about five thirty in the morning. She nodded in agreement, knowing that if her step mother found her bed empty she would be in a whole lot of trouble.

They walked out of the café together, paying their goodbyes to Jason. Outside, she awkwardly turned to him and stuck her hand out, "It was nice meeting you, Percy."

"Ditto." He said, accepting her handshake. After a beat of silence, she turned away to walk towards the direction of her apartment. "Hey!" she heard him call out, making her turn around, "Meet me here again tonight?"

Her mouth fell open in shock, wondering why he would want to spend another late night alone with her. She quickly recollected herself and mutely nodded, too flabbergasted to speak. He smiled at her – not the kind of smirk that he had been throwing her all night – the real kind of smile, when someone was genuinely happy.

Before she could make more of a fool of herself, she spun around and started to march back to her apartment. The smile stayed on her face as she climbed up the old rusty garbage bin to grab onto the fire escape ladder. It didn't disappear as she crawled through her window and changed into a new set of clothes for school. And it didn't fade as she walked into school, knowing that it was going to be another very awful day.

. . .

It continued like this for weeks on end. They meet up at _Piper's Café _and talk until the early morning hours. Percy started to walk with her since their places are in the same direction. He still insists on buying her coffee, even though she learned to bring her own money. Annabeth even started to wear her glasses during the day so she could wear her contacts at night. He _did _say that he liked her eyes.

Of course, they were really good _friends_. Annabeth had a boyfriend, Luke, who was kind and funny and good-looking – everything a boyfriend should be. He had no idea of her late night escapades but she didn't think that he _needed _to know. And she was sure that Percy had a girlfriend, how could he not? He was so charismatic and always knew how to make her laugh. Any girl would be lucky to have him as her boyfriend.

She woke up from her usual half hour of slumber around midnight. She decided to lie in her bed a little longer, thinking that maybe she could go back to sleep and not wake up five minutes later. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and willed her mind to be silent for her to go to sleep.

_Crash! _

She shot up from her bed suddenly, beads of sweat trailing down her forehead. She threw her covers off of her body and ran to the bathroom. Hurtling herself over the toilet, she emptied her stomach of all that she had eaten that day. She wiped the vomit from the edge of her mouth and flushed, leaning back on her heels.

_Never again, _she promised herself, standing up to go to the sink to brush her teeth. In fifteen minutes she was ready to go in her jeans, crème sweater, and brown boots. She wrapped her favorite green scarf tightly around her neck and silently slipped out of the window. Quietly, she made her way to the café where she and Percy always meet up.

She slipped into the cozy café and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Rubbing her hands together, she sat next to Percy who was ordering his second cup of coffee. He smiled at her, silently greeting her as he accepted the hot mug from the other barista, Piper.

"Sorry I'm late, I was preoccupied." She excused herself. She placed her coffee order with Piper who quickly got to work. Percy only nodded, knowing that arguing with Annabeth would not end well. Piper gently handed her the coffee and she placed the money on the counter, thanking her for her services.

They sat together for a long time, not saying anything as they drank their coffee and reveled in the warmth that the café provided. It was times like these that Annabeth appreciated most. Not having to awkwardly fill the silence and then making things even more awkward in the end. She liked the fact that she and Percy didn't have to talk all the time.

She finished her mug of coffee and placed it on the counter where the barista took it to clean it. Percy finally turned to face her with a smug grin playing on his lips, "Let's get out of here."

"Uh, okay." She answered hesitantly, letting him pull her out of the café. They walked down the sidewalk, his hand still in hers. Annabeth allowed herself to smile at the moment; if this was any other time, she would be demanding answers on where he was taking her. But with Percy she knew that even if she tried to ask, he would just giver her that lopsided grin that meant so many things and keep on walking.

After twenty minutes of walking, they arrived at a small park. The jungle gym was painted a deep forest green and there was a huge, swirly slide at the top of one of the platforms. There was a set of swings adjacent to the jungle gym and they swayed lightly in the autumn air. The little girl inside her couldn't help but giggle as she ran to the swing and jumped on, kick starting her swinging.

He soon joined her and they began a contest to see who could swing higher. Naturally, it was Percy because he had longer legs and he was probably stronger than her (he was on the swim team while she was on the mathletes). Slowly, their pace calmed down until their heels were just scraping against the mulch. The cold tickled her nose and attacked her cheeks, leaving them a rosy pink.

"How's your boyfriend?" Percy asked suddenly, turning slightly to look at her.

"Luke? He's fine. He's always busy with track but I don't really mind, I guess." She shrugged as she finished her explanation.

Percy clicked his tongue, unsatisfied with her answer, "Why do you go out with him?"

"I don't know, because he treats me well. Why are you so interested in my love life all of a sudden?" she asked, cocking her head slightly in confusion.

"I was just wondering, being a good _friend_ and all." He said, putting his hands up in defense. It was beyond strange that Percy was digging into her relationships; she mentioned that a boy had asked her out a few weeks ago. She thought that he would be happy for her, that something _good _was happening in her life.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" she asked suddenly. If he could ask about her boyfriend, then she could ask about his girlfriend.

"No, not anymore." He replied solemnly, looking down at the ground.

"What do you mean 'not anymore'? Was it a bad break up or…?" she asked concerned. He looked so depressed when she brought up the topic.

"Uh, I guess you could say that." He chuckled sadly. She waited for him to continue, knowing that if she pushed he would shut down, "She, uh, she died from drug overdose. I didn't even see it coming."

"Oh my god, Percy, I'm so sorry." She said, placing her hand on his shoulder. She hated apologies and she hated that she was trying to sympathize with him. She had no idea what it felt like to go through a situation like this. Well, she's gone through a similar situation – that's not the point. She wanted her words to take back all his pain and to give back all his happiness.

"It's fine, I know she's in a better place now and all that stuff. I guess the worst thing about it is that I didn't lose my girlfriend – I lost my best friend. We've known each other since we were kids and she wanted to take it to the next level. I sort of liked her so I thought it would be worth a shot."

Annabeth could only listen as he continued with his sad tale. He told her all about his deceased girlfriend – her name was Rachel and she was a really good musician. In fact, her love for music got him into his love for art. He loved to paint and sketch and all that artsy fartsy stuff. She couldn't really relate to the whole "art-music" thing since she was going to become a lawyer sometime later in her life.

He began to tear up as he finished pouring his heart out to her. She stood up from the swing and stooped down to hug him. He hugged her back without a moment's hesitation, gently stroking her hair with his calloused fingers. They stayed like that for a while; she was trying to soothe him as much as possible. He deserved it – he had helped her so much in the last few weeks. He made her feel not so alone at night and she knew without him she would've gone crazy.

Slowly, she pulled back and rested her hands on his shoulders, "As much as I hate to say this, we should probably get back. I have a calculus test first period and if I fail my step mom will kill me."

He chuckled at her hyperbole, cautiously standing up from his spot on the swing. He instinctively grabbed her hand as they walked down the sidewalk towards their respective homes. As they reached their crossroad, the sun started to peak out over the horizon. Without a second thought, Annabeth reached over and pulled him in for another hug.

"Thank you." He whispered in her ear, nuzzling her neck slightly.

She pulled back and smiled at him, ruffling his hair teasingly. He nudged her playfully, shoving her in the direction of her apartment. "I'll see you later." She said, turning around to make the trek back to her house. He didn't say anything in response and she knew that he was heading back to his home too.

Annabeth wondered if his mom knew about his insomnia. Her mom would never know because she slept like a log. Was Percy's mom understanding enough to know what his girlfriend's death did to him? Did she try to take him to rehab first? What if her family found about her insomnia and sent her to some insane asylum?

She shook the thoughts from her head as she slipped into her room and got ready for her test that she was most likely going to fail.

. . .

After that moment, Percy and Annabeth became almost inseparable. They exchanged phone numbers so they could always text each other during the day. When they met up at night, they never stayed in one place for too long. It always started at the café but then it would end someplace else like the park or the 24/7 laundromat. She didn't really care what they did as long as they were together.

With this newfound connection, things between her and Luke became messed up. He took a sudden interest in her once his season ended and always wanted to spend time with her. They would be together all day at school and then he would come over to her house after school. Sure, she liked Luke but after a while he became annoying. He was always asking who she was with or who she was texting. He was being possessive and it was ticking her off more and more as every day passed by.

After all this, he tried to make "the moves" on her. And not like, kissing or making out or going for second base. "The moves" was trying to make a home run. Annabeth never allowed for it to happen – over her dead body – but he was always so persistent. She would give in little by little. First, it was no shirt. Then, no bra. Then, she let him fondle her breasts. The moment that he reached to unbuckle her pants was the moment she realized how wrong this was.

She never noticed how every touch burned and scarred her smooth skin. How every word he ever said to her meant nothing. He only wanted her to say he could have her. She was stuck up Annabeth who would never let any guy get in her pants. He _obviously_ liked the challenge. That day, she kicked him in the nuts and punched him in the face and shoved him out of her apartment door. Thankfully, her parents weren't home to witness any of that, but if they had, she was sure that they would be somewhat proud of her.

Usually when things like this happened, she took long showers and hummed tunes from her favorite movie. She sat on the tiled floor of her bathtub as the water soaked her body. The water seeped through her hair and trickled down her spine, the drops piercing her skin like a needle. Her chin rested on her knees and her arms were tightly wrapped around her calves. She stayed in the shower for more than an hour and when she stepped out, she felt wrinkly and cold.

That night, she couldn't even get the half hour of sleep that she usually was able to obtain. She tossed and turned all night but nothing would come to her. Groaning loudly, she got up from her bed and headed into the bathroom to get ready to head out to the café. She pulled her winter coat on over her large sweater and headed down the fire escape.

She knew that she was early, but she didn't want to stay in her house any longer. It reminded her too much of earlier that afternoon when Luke had the audacity to take it another step farther. Rolling her eyes at his naivety, she pushed open the door to the café. It was empty except for Jason, the barista. Silently, she took her seat at the counter and ordered the usual latte.

Her fingers fidgeted around the ceramic mug as she waited for Percy to show up. She didn't know why she was so eager to see him – she was _always _happy to see him – but tonight was different. Maybe it was because she knew that he would comfort her in the best way possible and she needed something like that right about now.

The door chimed, signaling the arrival of Percy. He looked surprised to see that she had reached the café before he did, but didn't comment on it. Instead, he ordered his coffee and took the seat next to hers. It was silent as the duo drank their coffee and as soon as they finished, they got up to head to their next destination. Percy was taking her towards the park again, where they had been spending most of their time lately. She tugged him back and he spun around, looking bewildered.

Without a second thought, she stood on her tip toes and crashed her lips onto his. He wasted no time reciprocating, wrapping his strong arms around her waist to hold her steady. She smiled into the kiss as her hands moved up into his muddled hair and her fingernails scraped at the back of his neck. This felt _right; _this was so different from the hundreds of kisses that she and Luke had shared. There was an immediate spark and it was like fireworks going off in her head.

He pulled back and leaned his forehead against hers, taking deep breaths to calm his beating heart. She leaned her head up to peck his lips another time and he smirked at her (_oh, how she loved that smirk)_. She stood up on her tip toes again and whispered in his ear, "Let's go to your place."

Percy stiffened in her arms and she was worried that she had overstepped the boundaries. She silently pulled back and looked at him to see the glint of mischievousness in his eyes, like the first time they had met. He pulled her down the street towards his place at an alarmingly speedy pace. She started to trip over her own feet but he didn't seem to care as they reached the fire escape of his apartment complex. Together, they climbed all the way up to the fifth floor and slid the window open. Like a gentlemen, he helped her through and they tip toed their way from the living room to his bedroom.

He closed the door behind her quietly as she took in his room. The walls were painted a light blue and the carpet was a nice, tan color. There were several things piled on the floor and his closet door was open, spilling out useless knick knacks and things like that. His bed sat in the corner of his room and his sheets were nicely made. In fact, it was the only organized thing that stood out in his room.

She peeled her winter coat and scarf off and discarded them on the floor. He walked in front of her and pulled her to sit on the bed. He started to kiss her again, his mouth hot on hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer and his hands instinctively found her waist. He lightly pushed her back so that she was lying down and he was hovering over her.

Carefully, he bent down and kissed her neck softly, leaving a trail of kisses down to her collarbone. She giggled, his soft lips on her skin tickling her to no end. Soon, their clothes were being thrown off of one another until they were naked. Annabeth felt embarrassed, for her body was nothing to show off, but Percy told her over and over again how beautiful she was. And then he was inside of her, kissing her all the while, and it was _perfect_.

After they had gotten all the adrenaline out of their bodies, they lay under the blankets and cuddled up to one another. Annabeth drew circles over his bare, firm chest as his fingers played with her curly hair. She sighed in contentment. She knew why she had stopped Luke all those times before; she knew that he would never be able to make her feel this _alive_.

Maybe the only reason she dated Luke in the first place was because she didn't know how to deal with her feelings for Percy. They were always there but it was hard to deal with them on top of everything else going on her life. Luke didn't genuinely care about Annabeth or her wellbeing, but with Percy it was different.

"Annabeth?" he hummed softly, his hand moving to wrap around her waist.

"What is it?" she murmured groggily, opening her eyelids slightly to look at him.

"How come you can't sleep?" he asked bluntly.

The question took her by surprise; she definitely was not expecting it _now _of all times. _Sleep, _what did that word even mean anymore? She couldn't even remember what it was or why it was so important. She couldn't sleep because she didn't want to or she didn't know how. And then it all comes back to her. The red and white lights, the sirens, the sound of metal hitting metal, her brother's limp body – the reason why she can't sleep.

"Um, I think it would be best for me to leave now." She whispered, pulling away from him and getting out of bed to grab her clothes that were strewn over the floor. Slipping on her undergarments and pants, she began to put her hair up into a ponytail.

"Wait, why?" he asked her, sitting up in his bead.

"The sun's gonna rise any minute now. My step mom will kill me if I'm not home in time." She said, throwing her sweater on over her head and zipping up her winter coat.

He sighed, exasperated with her frantic notions, "Why can't you just tell me?"

"Tell you what?" she asked, pretending to play dumb.

"Why can't you just tell me what happened!" he shouted. She flinched at the sheer volume of his voice and looked at his bedroom door, praying that his mother wouldn't come in and yell at them. She stared at him for a long moment, tears filling the brim of her eyes.

"I _can't_." she croaked out, turning around and opening the door. A tear slid down her cheek slowly and she wiped it away angrily, "Bye, Percy."

Before he could respond, she shut the door and climbed out of the window in the living room. The sun was already rising but she didn't make any move to hurry her actions. More people came out onto the street, ready to go to work or school or whatever it was that people did in the morning. She walked amongst the crowd, burying her face in the collar of her coat.

_I just want it to be over, I just want it to be over, I just want it to be over._

After twenty minutes, she arrived back at her apartment where she climbed the fire escape. Carefully, she opened her window and stepped into her room, only to find her step mother waiting for her.

"Where the _hell_ have you been?"

. . .

Annabeth didn't go out at night after that incident. Her parents forced her into several therapy sessions with different therapists trying to tell her how to feel. She even spent a week in the hospital just so her parents could be sure that she would be under constant surveillance. Her step mom found her a tutor so she could do better in school and had a repair man come into the house to put special locks on all the doors and windows.

The weeks passed by just as they had before, except this time she felt empty and alone. At least before she would spend her days knowing that she would be with Percy later in the night. Now she knew that she was going to be stuck in her dark room, all by herself with her thoughts. Her parents tried to help her sleep by playing soft music or staying in the room or making the room slightly cooler with fans that hummed loudly. But every time she closed her eyes, she saw the same thing over and over again. She would pretend to be asleep for the sake of her parents, but as soon as they left she would be up, pacing the room and trying to calm herself down.

It was Christmas Eve and after they had finished their traditional take-out dinner, her step mom insisted for her to go upstairs to bed. She boasted about the presents that would be under the tree in the morning and the donuts she would have for her to stuff her face with. Annabeth obeyed and went upstairs to her room where she tried to sleep but only in vain. The inevitable _crash! _woke her up, like it always did.

She paced her room before heading to her bathroom to empty her stomach of all its contents. Crawling over to the sink, she turned on the faucet and splashed her face with cool water before slipping her glasses on. She headed back to her room and sat on her bed, dreading the many hours she was going to spend tonight doing nothing.

She missed Percy more than anything. He made her feel like she wasn't a complete freak and he acted as a solace for her. He was the only one to make her laugh and he made her blush with his out-of-left-field compliments. He made her nights not so lonely and she wished that she could take back that night when everything was ruined.

Looking out her window, she noticed that it started to snow. The white flurries stuck to the cold, metal railings like glue and fogged up the window. She smiled in spite of herself; in California, snow didn't even exist so it was always a wonder to see it fall so freely here. _Percy likes the snow, _she thought sadly.

Suddenly, she stood up from her spot on the bed and changed into a pair of jeans and a striped sweater. Pulling on her boots, she searched for her winter coat and the matching scarf. She needed to see Percy – it was the only thing that was going to keep her sane. She walked over to the window and started to work on the lock. It was stubborn and wouldn't budge, so she took the baseball bat she kept in the corner of her room and whacked it. It broke instantly and she easily opened the window and stepped out.

The arctic air greeted her as she sprinted down the fire escape and jumped down onto the garbage bin. She began to run down the street, slipping every so often over the icier parts of the concrete. She found herself at the café and peered in the window to find it empty except for the barista, Piper. Seeing her, she smiled and waved, mouthing her a "Merry Christmas!"

Without another thought, she sprinted down the sidewalk again, heading to the only other place that she knew he could be. The park slowly came into view; the familiar slopes of the jungle gym and the outline of the slide. She slowed to a stop as she saw that the swing set was empty. He was nowhere to be found and that turned her heart cold. _Did he stop going out on his late night escapades because of her? _The thought made her want to throw up; she knew what they meant to the both of them.

Something cleared its throat behind her, making her whip around in a panic. There he stood in his coat and jeans, looking as dashing as ever. His dark hair was messily covering his forehead and his sea green eyes were like beacon of lights to her. She smiled, glad that she was able to see him, even if it might be the last time.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi," she replied timidly, crossing her ankles. She began to fidget with her hands from anxiety. She didn't know what she was going to say – all she knew was that she wanted to see _him_.

They stared at each for what seemed like forever until he spoke, "You didn't answer any of my texts or calls."

"I know," She admitted, running her hands through her hair, "I know."

"And you just left me like I was nothing. Like what happened meant _nothing_ to you." He said menacingly. She knew he would be mad; he had every right to be mad.

"I know." She said. Her breath was a cloud of smoke in front of her as she tried to steady her heart with calming breaths. "Percy," she began, swallowing down all her nerves, "I came here to tell you that I was stupid and afraid. I didn't know how to tell you how messed up I was. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I just want you to know that I'm sorry."

He nodded, stuffing his hands into his coat pockets. It was silent amongst the pair as they stared at the ground. She kicked some of the mulch underneath her that was starting to be covered with snow.

She looked up at him suddenly, "Percy –" she stopped herself when she was met with his exquisite sea green eyes. They were always memorizing and whenever they talked, she would look at them and she wouldn't feel so miserable. "Percy, you mean everything to me. And since it's Christmas, I just thought that you should know."

He looked surprised at her sudden statement. Did he really not know how she felt about him? Was it not that blatantly obvious to him? Without Percy, her life would be a black abyss of nothingness. She would feel numb and lonesome all the time and she would probably be dead now if it wasn't for him. He changed her life for the better, and there was absolutely no way to repay him.

He took the few steps to close the gap between them as he stooped down to kiss her. Quickly, she kissed him back, placing her hands on his shoulders. For the first time in weeks, Annabeth felt _right _again. She didn't feel lonely or scared or depressed. The warmth of his hands around her waist made her feel giddy and happy. She felt _loved, _and she hadn't felt that in a _long_ time.

Pulling back, he brushed a loose curl out of her face and kissed her cheek, "Merry Christmas, Annabeth."

"Merry Christmas, Percy." She replied with a wide smile.

He took her hand in his and they began to walk in the direction of the café. She leaned into his side as he wrapped his arm around her waist. Smiling in spite of herself, she looked up at him to see that he was wearing a similar smile.

In that moment, Annabeth didn't care about what happened next or how angry her mother would be with her in the morning. All that mattered was the night was theirs.


End file.
